Method for furnace treatment of metal and metalliferous material



Nov. 10, 1931. D. H. MELCCHE 1,831,254

METHOD FOR-FURNACE TREATMENT OE METAL AND METALLIFEROUSIIATBRIAL Filed April 19. 1927 2 Shuts- 8M 1 Nov. 10, 1931 D. H. MELOCHE 1 E TREATMENT OF METAL AND METALLIFEROUS MATERIAL METHOD F013 FURNAC Filed April 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm r Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT? orrlca DANIEL H. MELOOHE, OF NEW YORK, Ni Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN RADIATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY amnion r03. rummcn rnmrmnnr or METAL AND mnrannmnaous MATERIAL Application filed "April 19,

I am aware that it has been proposed to use finely divided coal admixed with a blast or stream of air to heat various types of metal treating furnaces, but so far as I am in formed, these prior provisions have not roved practical in commercial application,

2 ecause they were not ca able of efiectin a sufiiciently complete com ustion of the fue under conditions permitting a proper control of the character (oxidlzing, neutral or reducing) of the heating gases coming into contact with the furnace charge of metal or metalliferous material. In particular previous roposals for using powdered coal 'in meltmg metal have been open to the objection that the metal was thereby subjected to undesirable oxidizing efiects resulting in metal losses due largely to the formation of objectionable quantities of oxidation products.

According to the preferred exemplification of my invention, to be more fully described hereinafter, I cause combustion of the finely divided solid fuel at a point out of contact with the charge of metal or metalliferous material, and preferably external to the charge-receiving space, and project or admit the resulting heating gases into contact with the charge to exert the desired effect thereon, thereby obviating the objections heretofore stated and rendering the firing of metal-treating furnaces with fine or powdered fuel practicable and economical.

In the detailed description to be given hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in connection with a furnace of the vertical cupola type employed 1927. Serial No. 185,041.

for melting or reducing iron, such, for example, as pig or scrap, or mixture thereof, to molten or fluid form for use in foundry casting operations, but I wish it understood that my invention is not to be limited to'furnaces ofthe particular type shown and described, or for the melting and purification of metal for the purpose stated, as it will be found useful in the heat treatment of metal for other purposes as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. i

The invention consists in the novel method to be more fully described hereinafter, and

I will first describe the furnace illustrated in the drawings and exemplifying my invention, and will then describe the novel method practised by means of said furnace.

Referring to the said drawings by characters of reference, 1 designates generally, a furnace of the vertical cupola type comprising a suitable cylindrical metal shell 2 lined with a refractory lining 3, and enclosing a charge receiving space 3".

The lining 3 may be of any of the commercial refracto materials used in furnace and cupola practice, or, the material may be a non-fusing, non-refractory material which will serve the purpose. The lining may be acid, neutral or basic, according to the reaction effect it is desired to produce in the furnace. In ordinary cupola practice where it is desired to purify and melt pig iron or scrap. the lining may be acid, in the case of the reduction of metalliferous materialfor example, ordinary iron oxide 'ores, the lining mama would be basic. The selection of 1proper lincombustion or combustion to the desired deing will be obvious to those ski ed in the art, according to the material to be treated and the effect and reaction it is desired to produce. The cupola may be supported at its base upon any suitable foundation structure 4, and may be closed at the bottom with a suitable drop bottom 5, of any well known form and the details of which need not be shown or described as they are not necessary for a disclosure of my invention. The furnace is also provided with the usual tap opening 6, through which the molten metal produced may be tapped, and with a slag spout 6 of any desired form. In the present exemplification the furnace shown, contrary to the usual cupola practice, is preferably not provided with blast tuyeres, or other air blast supply means for admitting air to the charge-receiving space. At its base the furnace is provided with one or more combustion chambers 7, for example, four of such chambers being illustrated in the embodiment shown, and preferably being arranged at equidistant points circumferentially of the furnace. Each of these combustion chambers comprises a shell 8, which may be rectangular in cross section and which engages and is secured to the metallic shell of the cup- 019. or furnace in any suitable manner, said shell, if desired, bein'g jacketed, as at 9, to provide a surrounding space 10, to receive air or other fluid cooling agent. The inner end of the shell 8 opens into the cupola through an orifice 11, which is located preferably above the bottom of the cupola, and said shell is lined, as at 12, with a suitable refractory lining 'material. The outer end of the shell 8 is closed by a suitable head 13 secured air and gas-tight to the shell 8 in an suitable manner, and the inner face of th1s head is also lined with suitable material. In the preferred embodiment the external combustion chambers are arranged with their longitudinal axes inclined upward from the point at which said chambers open into the cupola, but I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement.

In the drawings, I have shown only so much of the cupola as is necessary for a clear understanding of my invention, the superstructure inclusive of the charging inlet and appurtenances being omitted as the same may be of any well known type, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art without illustration. Any suitable means maybe provided for feeding powdered coal or powdered coke and air or other combustion supporting gases into the combustion chamber in proportions and at rates insuring completion of combustion to the desired extent within said chambers and the delivery therefrom through the exit orifice or orifices of heating gases of the desired oxidizing, re.--

ducing or neutral character. By complete teraction or combination of the constituentsof said gases occur after the latter leave said chambers. The emitted heating gases contain free oxygen when they are to have'an oxidizing character, contain carbon monoxide or a mixture thereof with carbon dioxide when the emitted gases are to be of a reducing character,, and contain ne ther oxygen or carbon monoxide when the emitted gas are neutral in character, in such case the carbon of the fuel is all in the form of carbon dioxide.

In the preferred embodiment, the fuelfeeding means comprises an inlet conduit 14 having its lower or outlet end 15 connected, as at 16, to the central part of the head 13,

the head and the lining thereof. The inlet duct 17 is preferably located in line with the longitudinal axis of the combustion chamber so as to deliver a stream lengthwise of the chamber toward the outlet 11. Supported by the upper end of the duct 14 is a casing member 18, into which extends a fuel-feeding pipe or nozzle 19, fed from a supply conduit 20, .which receives a stream of the finely divided solid fuel and air from anv suitable source (not shown). The chamber 18 is provided with an outlet connection 21 which is fed with secondary air under pressure from a .wind-box 22 surrounding the upper portion of the furnace. The wind-box is supplied with air under pressure impelled by any suitable blower or other impeller ap paratus not shown. According to the 3.1". rangement shown, the finely divided solid fuel impelled by an air stream is projected through the pipe or nozzle 19 into the chamber 18, and secondary air from the wind-box 22 and under pressure, also passes into the chamber 18 and the connection 14- The stream of air and fuel from the nozzle 19 mixes with the air from the wind-box, passes through the connection 15 into the external combustion chamber 7, in which the air and fuel mixture is ignited and burns. bustion chamber 7 is of such diameter and of such length from the fuel inlet 17 to the outlet orifice 11 that the finely divided fuel will be suspended long enough for combustion which is substantially complete within the chamber to the extent permitted by the oxygen content of the combustion supporting gas, by the time it reaches said orifice.

Previously to igniting the fuel in the combustion chamber 7, the cupola or furnace may tests be provided with the usual sand bed 23, the

highest point of which is preferably just below the lower edge of the orifice 11 and which slopes toward the tap hole. Upon the sand bed is placed a bed of loose lump material providing a charge support with a plurality of intervening fine spaces or interv stices, said body being of coke, broken brick through the spaces therein and pass upward to act on the charge. The bed 24.- serves' as a support for the charge, as will be hereinafter mentioned.

In carrying out the method, constituting my invention, by means of the apparatus above described, the sand bed 23 is placed in the furnace and the bed 24 of coke or other interstitial material, is placed upon the sand bed. The fuel supply through the duct and the secondary air from the wind-box 22, are then so regulated relatiwely as to produce combustion .of the fuel in the furnace 7 and so that heating gases of the desired characteristics will issue at the orifice 11. In cupola practice where'metallic iron in the form of pig or scrap is to be melted for production of gray iron, the heating gases will be neutral at the orifice 11, or heating ases could be made reducing to the desire extent to regulate the carbon content of the resulting melt. In case of regulation producing a neutral gas stream, a-body or stream of CO (carbon dioxide) will be projected from the orifice '11 into the bed of coke or broken material. The fuel in the chambers ,7 may be ignited by any of the usual means employed in starting combustion in cupola furnaces, for example by placing a suitable quantity of wood on the sand bed, and kin- Y dling the same by an ignited wad of cotton waste soaked in oil and thrown in on the wood through the charging inlet of the furnace before the charge of coke or other broken material is deposited in the furnace to form the supporting bed. The coke or broken material 24 serves to support the charge and to cause permeation and spreading of the gas stream emitted from the orifice 11, so that the same will be evenly distributed across the full area of the upper surface of the bed and the bottom area of the charge. In the embodiment described, the amount of fuel ,and air is regulated by any suitable control for the fuel feed andthe secondary-air, so that it will be assured that substantially complete combustion of the coal occurs in the combustion chamber, andsubstantially no unburned coal as such passes into or through the bed 24 or the gas stream may be made neutral or reducing. In the melting of ordinary iron for production of gray iron castin s, the stream. emitted from the orlfice 11 at igh temperature will be substantially neutral or reducing, and the flow is contlnued until the i'nterior of the charge-receiving space of the cupola is rendered non-oxidizmg. When the preliminary burning of the fuel has been carried on lon enough to securethe necessary heating 0 the apparatus and to assure that the atmosphere or gaseous content within the cupola or furnace is neutral or reducing as de sired-the metalhferous in case the furnace be operated as a meltin cupola, is deposited in the space 3 throng the usual charging inlet, at the top of the furnace'and descends to rest uponthe bed 24, the flow of hot gas from the combustion chamber being maintained continuously so .that the charge will be melted to produce the desired :molten product, which may be drawn off through the tap hole 6.

It will be understood that in melting iron, where a neutral or reducing flame is employed, the bed 24 if of coke, serves primarily as a support for the metal charge and is not consumed during the operation, and therecharge, for example, pig-iron, or scrap iron,

fore need only be replenished in order to make 1 up for mechanical losses, in which event additional quantities, when and if required, may be supplied through the charging inlet of the furnace. i

It will be noted that in carrying out this method in connection with iron melting, it is ordinarily important to control the relative proportions of fuel and air so as to insure substantially complete combiistion in the combustion chamber- 7, and thereby produce a non-oxidizing flame or gas stream emitted from the orifice 11, so as to carry on the heatmg or melting operation under condltions maintaining a neutral or reducing atmoshere in the charge-receiving chamber. This is effected in the present embodiment by con trol of the relative amounts of fuel and air,

the length and diameter of the furnace chamber 7 and the fact that the furnace is substantially sealed against ingress of air, as such, from any source whilethe reducing or melting operation is taking place. v

The means for furnishingfinely-divided carbonaceous solid fuel may be of any suitable c'ommercialt'ype available ,onthe market and specifically forms no part of my present "invention. Such means (not shown) may consist of a grinding apparatus for grinding r or pulverizing the material and deliverin the same to an air impelling device or blower by which the fuel is blown or impelled in an air stream through the conduit 20 and branches 20 to the nozzle 19. Any suitable I type of blower or impeller (not shown) may be p y d for driving the so-called secs;v

ondary air necessary for combustion to and tion describe the heating gases as being rethrough the wind-box 22, and thence through connections 21 to the chambers 18. Any sultable means may be employed for regulating the relative proportions of air and fuel ejected from the nozzle 19, and the proportion of secondary air necessary to produce substantially complete or desired combustion of the fuel in chamber 7, for example, it will be understood this can be readily effected by properly regulatingthe fuel feeding and air impelling means, or by valves in the said pi es 20*,or both.

y the term heating gases as employed herein I mean the gaseous body or stream resulting from combustion of the fuel and combustion supporting gas, whether such body or stream be neutra oxidizing or reducing in its effect upon the metal or metalliferous charge.

The invention has a number of advantages among which may be mentioned that substantially no slag is produced when the furnace is operated as cupolato produce molten iron for castings. The iron produced is substantiallynitrogen free. Due'to non-oxidization of the original elements, the latter are held in their original condition, thus obviating metal losses and resulting in product of desired characteristics. The melting rate .is also appreciably increasedand the temperature of the metal at the spout or tap is raised thus facilitating pouring. The method also reduces the so-called smoke losses, and produces an appreciable saving in fuel. 7

Further, advantages are that my new method obviates the necessity of charging fuel along with the metal charge into the furnace, and very much less fuel is consumed per unit of weight of metal melted than Where the fuel is charged with themetal.

Due to the fact that little or no air except that employed to promote the combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber is employed in melting iron for gray iron castings, the

. molten iron or other metal in the furnace is not chilled as it descends through the bed,

as is the case where tuyeres or other means are employed to admit an air blast to the charge. This results in the metal not becoming oxidized, and also being delivered to the discharge spout at a higher temperature than hitherto. v Another advantage is that due to the smal amount, if any, of slag formed, there is'practically no destructive chemical reaction on L the furnace lining, so that repair or replacement thereof from such deleterious reactions, is to a great extent obviated, thereby assur ing continuous operation over long periods and saving the cost of such repair or replacement..

While I have disclosed my invention as applicable for the melting of iron in a' furnace of the cupola type and for such applicaducing or neutral, it is apparent that by properly controllin the relative proportions of products than gray cast iron, for example,

they may be employed to melt steel in which case the heating gases would be regulated to be neutral, reducing or oxidizing according to the character of melt it is desired to obtain from the particular metal to be melted. The invention can also be employed to melt iron for malleable castings in which event the heating gases would ordinarily be oxidizing,

and for melting non-ferrous metals in connection with which reducing heating gases would ordinarily be used.

In addition to melting, the invention ma also be used for smelting iron ore, in whic the heating gases would be highly reducing.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A method of operating a metal treating furnace which comprises placing a charge of metalliferous material in the receiving space of the furnace, producing non-oxygenatin heating gases by combustion of finely divided carbonaceous fuel and a combustion promoting gas at a point external to the charge receiving space, and projecting said nonoxygenating heatin gases into said space at a point adjacent tie base of said charge, while maintaining a non-oxygenating atmosphere in said space.

2. A method of operating a metal treating furnace, which comprises placing an interstitial bed in the charge receiving space of the furnace, placing a charge of metalliferous material over said bed, producing heating gases by combustion of finely divided carbonaceous solid fuel and a combustion promoting gas at a point external to the chargereceiving space, and projecting said heating gases into said space at a point within said bed.

3. A method of operating a metal treating furnace, which comprises placing an inter-. stitial bed in the charge receiving space of the furnace, placing a charge of metalliferous material over said bed, producing non-oxygenating heating gases' by combustion of finely divided coal and a combustion pro roduce oxidizingcupola,

oxygenatin atmosphere in said space whereby combustion of the bed is precluded.

4. A method of melting metal which com prises placing an interstitial bed of divided material in a-furnace chamber, supporting a body of the metal to be melted on said bed, producing non-oxygenating heating gases by combustion of finely divided coal and combustion supporting gas at a point external to the furnace chamber, and projecting said nonoxygenating heating gases into said bed so that said gases will be distributed over the base of the charge to melt-the charge, and maintaining within said furnace conditions such as to preclude substantial combustion of said bed. v

5. A method of operating a metal melting which comprises placing an interstitial bed in the charge receiving space of the cupola, placing a charge of metalliferous material over said bed so as to be supported by said bed, producing heating gases by combustion of finely divided coal and a combustion promoting gas at a point external to the charge receiving space and projecting said heating gases into said space at a point within said bed so that said heating gases are disseminated by the bed and pass upward through the bed to heat the metalliferous material, and controlling the character of the gases and the atmosphere in the furnace so as to preclude the combustion of said bed. 6. A method of operating a metal melting cupola, which comprises placing an interstitial bed of divided material in the charge receiving space of the cupola, producing substantially non-oxygenating heating gases by combustion of finely divided carbonaceous solid fuel and a combustion promoting gas at a point external to the charge receiving space, projecting said lieating gases into said space at a point within said bed, and then charging metalliferous material unmixed with fuel and to be melted on said bed and continuing to project said substantially nonoxy'genating heating gases into said bed.

7. A method of operating a metal melting cupola, which comprises placing an interstitial supporting bed of divided material .in the charge receiving space of the cupola,

lacing a charge of metalliferous material to Eemelted over said bed, producing substantially non-oxygenating heating gases by combustion of finely divided carbonaceous solid fuel and a combustion promoting gas at a pointy external to the charge receiving space, projecting said non-oxygenating heating gases into said space ata point within said bed, and maintaining non-oxygenating atmosphere conditions in said space while said heating gases are being led into said space.

8. A method of operating a metal melting cupola, which comprises placing an interstitial supporting bed of divided material in the charge receiving space of the cupola,

phere in said space.

9. A method of operating a metal meltingj cupola, which comprises placin anf jnte r stitial bed of divided material in t e receiving space of the cupola, producing substantially I non-oxygenating heating gases by combus tion of finely divided solid carbonaceous fuel and a combustion promoting gas at a point external to the charge space, prbjecting said heating gases into said bed at a point beneath the upper level of said bed until the atmosphere within said space is non-oxidizin charging metalliferous material on said be and continuing to project substantially nonoxygenating heating gases into said bed, at a point beneath the upper level of said bed while maintaining a non-oxygenating atmosphere in the furnace. J

10. A method of operating a metal treating furnace, which comprises placing a bed of broken coke, in the charge receiving space of the furnace, placing a charge of metalliferous material over said bed, producing heatinggases by combustion of finely divided coal and air at a point external to the charge receiving space, projecting said heating gases into said space at a point within said bed of coke and controlling the character of said heating gases and the atmosphere in the furnace so as to preclude combustion of the coke bed.

11. A method of melting metal, which comprises placing an interstitial bed of divided coke in a furnace chamber, charging a body of metal to be melted and unmixed with fuel on said bed, producing non-oxygenating heating gases'by combustion of finely divided coal and air under pressure at a point external to the furnace chamber, projecting said non-oxygenati-ng heating gases into said bed so that said gases Wlll be disseminated through the bed and distributed over the base of the charge to melt the charge, and main- 

